Supreme Court approves random drug tests for many public high schools

Associated Press / SFGate

[Diddle E. Squat]

"Libertarians For Leahy"?

[AAABEST]

Naw, not if you love the right to go to a drug free public school.

You have a screwy idea of what a right is. A right is something you're born with, like the right to defend your life and the right to freedom.

Your logic is that same the gun grabbers use. They somehow feel they have a "right" to walk down a gun free public street. You don't have a "right" to a drug free school any more than someone has a "right" to healthcare.

You do have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

[Basil Duke]

Yes. Thank God all vestiges of individual liberty will soon be a dusty memory for us. How could we possibly consider ourselves a free people without first forcing our children to perform an intimate bodily function in front of an adult - all before they're allowed to attend the schools that their parents' tax dollars finance?

[SouthernFreebird]

We find that testing students who participate in extracurricular activities is a reasonably effective means of addressing the school district's legitimate concerns in preventing, deterring and detecting drug use,

I would think the first ones to suspect would be the ones that just 'hang out' after school....

This is a terrible ruling. Loss of privacy...whats next, random neighborhood or house searches. Our Country is going to hell in a hand-basket.

[coloradan]

I think we should start making EVERY government employee, city, state, federal, teachers, judges, cops, etc,etc,etc...piss in a cup, and if they test positive fire em on the spot.

Fire them on the spot? Jail them for life. Zero tolerance, etc.

[anniegetyourgun]

Works for me. There are many ways in which we treat minors differently.

[PISANO]

The DEATH OF COMMON SENSE runs rampant even at FR.

[Viva Le Dissention]

Oh come on--and you call yourself a conservative. These kids are coerced into participating in extra-curricular activities (including driving to school!). Not only is there social pressure from their friends and parents, there is pressure from colleges and universities who demand that applicants be "well-rounded" in order to gain admission. That means participating in extra-curriculars.

This decisions forces students to choose between their right to privacy and, potentially, their future as a student. How many kids do you know that get into a top college with no extra-curriculars? At my alma mater, Washington and Lee University, 100% of accepted kids had some sort of extra-curricular activity. This isn't right just for that reason.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

The destruction of the concept of privacy is the last stop before the end of freedom.

See you in the camps.

[strela]

Although I support the suppression of illegal drug use and enforcement of the nation's drug laws in most respects, this decision is stupid, wrong, and wrong-headed. There is not much of an intellectual leap from randomly testing school students (who are REQUIRED by the law to be in school) to randomly testing Joe Nosepicker in his double-wide. The slippery slope is wide, yawning, and especially slimy on this one.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Having trouble distinguishing between "Priviledge" and "Right"?

[PhiKapMom]

YES!

That school district is just East of where I live -- this is great news! It was widely distributed by their school district so the girl and her parents that filed this had ample warning. Tired of these whining liberals!

[Kryptonite]

Pretty humorous how the druggies showed up here. :)

[freeeee]

It is not an invasion of privacy, because the students have the right to refuse, and they are not denied any of their rights by their refusal - but they may be denied a privilege.

Say you have to forfeit your right to free exercise of religion for the privilege of getting a drivers license.

No violation of rights?

[RedBloodedAmerican]

If you hate individual rights and liberties

I think we should allow children to destroy themselves, especially at schools where they are supposed to be getting an education and stimulating their brains, not rotting them.

[nravoter]

These kids have a choice, however. If they don't want to be tested, don't participate in the extracurricular activities.

Driving a car under the influence is more dangerous than participating in extracurricular activities in that state. Additionally, driving consistently is defined by all levels of government as a "privilege, not a right".

So what if the Feds or a state decide that anyone who wants to drive a car must submit to mandatory, random urinalyses? Will people still be saying "Hey, if you don't want to abide by the conditions set by the authorities, fine--just don't expect to receive full priviliges."?

[Viva Le Dissention]

No, not at all. I have a RIGHT to privacy.

The Court has no problem at all ruining a kid's future if he wants to protect his right.

[SouthernFreebird]

If they don't want to be tested, don't participate in the extracurricular activities.

Right, they should go hang on the street corners all afternoon and learn to SELL drugs then they wouldn't have to face an invasion of privacy.. ..geez

[RedBloodedAmerican]

So the Holocaust is the result of Jews not being able to do drugs? Gimme a break.

[finnman69]

They also approved VOUCHERS!